Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-01-20


| such Investments needs attention, and the
Legislature should devise sumo plan by means
| OF which the money coming into the school fund
can De promptly invested in safe interest-bear-
ing securities.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
! The biennial report Of The Board OF Trustees
| OF State Charitable Institutions, with its ae-
| companying reports OF superintendent and
other officers, furnishes detailed information
concerning the condition, expense and require
ments OF the Asylums for the Insane at Topeka
and Osawatomie, the State Reform School at
| Topeka, the Institution for the Education OF
| the Deaf and Dumb at Olathe. and that for the
Education OF the Blind at Wyandotte, the Asy
| lurn for Idiotic and Irnbecile Youth, at
Lawrence, but soon to be removed TO Winfield,
! and the new Soldiers Orphans Home at Atchi-
son.
These numerous charitable. educational and
reformatory institutions entail upon the State
heavy burdens, which increase our popuia-
ton increases New buildings and additions,
costing s363,S00, were erected during the last
TWO fiscal years. yet all the institutions
crowded TO their utmost capacity, and the
trustees present facts and figures showing de-
nland for additional accommodations. 1 do not
see now such expenditures can be avoided or
largely decreased. Burdensome they are,
they are the natural and inevitable result of the
rapid growth OF the State.
MANAGEMENT OF CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
1 again call the attention OF the Legislature
TO the defects OF the system provided by law for
judgment it does not afford such supervision
the welfare OF these great charities requires.
OF the appropriations annually made by the
Legislature, about two-ffths are expended by
this one board Of trustees. The institutions in
its charge are widely diverse in character, in
GLIDING educational, eleemosynary and reforma-
tory departments. They also remote from
each other and the trustees can not visit them
more frequently than once month. The board,
too, is necessarily composed OF men whose time
IS largely engrossed with their own personal az
fairs, and the inspections made by them are
therefore haSty and superficial II ought to be
apparent, when these facts considered, that
the present system of supervision and manage
ment is conspicuously inadequte if not inner
emily vicious. 1t is, in fact neither practical,
comprehensive nor economical and should give
place to some system that will provide for a
more constant, watchful and intelligent vista
ton, oversight and inspection.
STATE BOARDS
II may be said, in this connection, that our
entire system OF supervision for State institu-
tions embodies features Of extravaganza and
inefiiciency, and ought to be remodeled. The
business of the State has outgrown the old
methods, and demands others more comprehen-
siYe and economical. The board OF trustees OF
State charitable institutions should be relieved
of the supervision OF the STAGE Reform School.
All the penal and reformatoEy institutions, in
GLIDING me penitentiary, tie Industrial re-
formatory, and reform school, SHOULD be under
the supervision OF one board, grknposed Of not
of these TWO boards, its chairman or its secre-
tary, shoEdd devote his entire time TO sIch
duties OF visitation. auditing GcroSEnts, inspect
ing supplies and property, etc. might be de-
yolVed upon him by law, and the Mileage sys-
tenn should Se abolished.
The MILEAGE SYSTEM
The payment of members of STATE boards or
other of1icer1 under the mileage system is ex-
traVagant abr vicious, and shonl2 he entirely
abolished. n has nothing to recommend il. 1t
is unjust alike to the public and. The officers
who are thus paid. subjecting tfis state 10 I'M
necessary e;02ense, and its semaE9ss to IN
merited suspicion and criticism. =
Every menliter OF State board should be
paid a liberal.Err diem for services, and neces-
sary expenses while travelling ID returning
from meetings. Every provision OF EBw which
allows any ohiasr or employe of thcr State mile
age payments. should be at once rSpealed-
PENrTESTIARY.
The report of the directors OF thepenEtentfary,
including the reports OF the warden, supSrin-
tendent of coal mine and other officers Of that
institution, are submitted herewith They pre-
sent in detail the condition and work OF the
penltentlary duznng ths last biennial period and
furnish estimates OF its needs foz- the fu72re.
The necessity fur female prison ssitta ward for
the insane IS apparent The institution is
crowded beyond capacity. On the LIST OF July,
1884, IT cOntaineGGo1 prisoners: July l. 1885 1hiS
number had increased TO $40; July J.. 1856, to
500; and the St of January, 1884, tire. number
was 95i. There IRA only 700 cells i1nthe iElszItu
tion SO that in sach OF 254 cells Tsxo. prisozers
are placed.
The penitenttnry continues selfsustairing. |
For the fiscal year ending Juna9 3d.. 1855 the
earnings aggregated Sl9O, 1861: expenditures, |
S14S,a log; excess of earnings Si2.2 65.Ss For
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, tha earnings
aggregated S22a.-s5 O7; expenditures, SJja5IA7I;
excess of earnings s51 ,205.36. Excess of cummings
over expenditures during the tho fiscal years, |
a3411.2 %. in the expenditures, tao, are counted
q total OF s45, 129.04 for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SO that the eErnings of the institution. dnring |
the last biennial period, really exceeded its ex-
penditure s135sGO0-29. The total cost Of rsAn- |
tanning the prisoners, including salaries, board
ing. clothing. bedding and all other expenses |
charged to maintenance, has. also been |
steadily reduced
THU STATE REFoRMATORY.
One wing OF Ghe new industrial reformnrDry at |
lie, nearly Completed and the Legis- |
lature should. make provision Tor organizing its |
official forces: md for the erection of the admin
istration and other necessary buildings In my |
special message of 1886 expressed my WARN |
approval of the purpose OF this institution and |
nv belief thug not one-half ofthe prisoners sen
fenced to confinement In the penft9ntlary |
belong to the criminal classes Their |
age. the nature of their ofeLseS. the light SEN
fences imposed many of them and The fire.
quent appeals made in theirbehalf for executive !
clemency M judges, prosecuting attorneys and /
jurors ali Justify the belisa that hundreds OF |
these youthful law-DreakeTs might. ng a judi !
cious course Of discipline md training. be re- |
claimed AID reformed. therefore regard the !
OF the industrial reforraatory as |
marking a new era in the administration OF JUS |
tice. and sincerely hope that the Legislature |
will make ample provisions for equiisDing, open
ing and completing il.
THE SUPREME COURT.
A delay of justice is often an absolute denial !
of justice. The docket Of the Supreme Court is |
so overburdened that many instances, long.
expensive and yeXatiC1s delays attend the final |
OF cases Brought before that tri5u- /
nal. Nearly six hundred cases now on its |
docket, ana over thirty new cases are flied each |
month. The three justices constituting the 1
court are able To dispose of more than three /
hundred cases each year, and the undecided /;
cases are, therefore, steadily increasing. 1t is /
evident that some relief should be afforded. !